The Town FilesSan Benito, Texas
City in Cameron County · population 24,861 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $85,300
- Household income
- $43,639
- Jan low / Jul high
- 51° / 97°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 28
- Median age
- 33.8
San Benito is a city of 24,861 people in Cameron County, Texas. The median home is worth $85,300, below the typical Texas town ($184,100). It ranks more walkable than 92% of Texas towns, better for a vacation home than 87% of Texas towns, better transit than 87% of Texas towns.
How San Benito ranks
Percentile among Texas towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Texas towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in San Benito is worth $85,300, below the typical Texas town ($184,100). Homes cost about 2.0 times the median household income of $43,639, which is more affordable than 80% of Texas towns. Median rent is $839 a month. 66.0% of households own their home.
| Housing | San Benito | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $85,300 | $184,100 |
| Median rent | $839 | $1,086 |
| Median household income | $43,639 | $65,842 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.0× | 2.9× |
| Homeownership | 66.0% | 72.9% |
| Median year built | 1987 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 1.3% | — |
Who lives in San Benito
| People | San Benito | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.8 | 37.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 15.9% | 15.6% |
| Under 18 | 27.5% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.2% | 18.9% |
| Below the poverty line | 29.7% | 13.1% |
| Veterans | 5.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 17.6% | — |
| Work from home | 11.1% | 7.8% |
| Average commute | 17.5 min | 26.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 80.9% | 89.2% |
Weather in San Benito
July highs average 96.6°F and January lows 51.1°F. About 28.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.1 inches of snow (typical Texas town: 0.2 in). Expect about 151 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 1 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
28 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of San Benito since 1950, compared with 21 for the typical Texas town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on May 12, 1969 about 6.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 11, 2012.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 34 times; the largest was 3.01 inches on April 2, 2017.
Severe weather in Cameron County since 1996
Cameron County has been included in 34 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, other.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| May 21, 2025 | Flood | DR-4871: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| July 9, 2024 | Hurricane | DR-4798: Hurricane Beryl |
| February 19, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | DR-4586: Severe Winter Storms |
| February 14, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | EM-3554: Severe Winter Storm |
| August 24, 2020 | Hurricane | EM-3540: Tropical Storms Marco And Laura |
Jobs and pay in Cameron County
Cameron County had 156,619 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $44,590 a year. Unemployment was 5.4% in 2023; in San Benito itself the ACS puts it at 7.3%.
Public schools in San Benito
35 public schools with 13,544 students, about 15.4 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAN BENITO H S | 10-12 | 1,944 | 14.0 |
| IDEA COLLEGE PREPARATORY SAN BENITO (charter) | 6-12 | 782 | 16.3 |
| BERTA CABAZA MIDDLE | 6-8 | 741 | 14.5 |
| IDEA ACADEMY SAN BENITO (charter) | K-5 | 693 | 22.4 |
| SAN BENITO VETERANS MEMORIAL ACADEMY | 9-9 | 690 | 14.4 |
| SOUTH TEXAS ISD RISING SCHOLARS ACADEMY | 6-8 | 682 | 15.5 |
| LIBERTY MEMORIAL MIDDLE | 6-8 | 658 | 13.7 |
| CASH EL | PK-5 | 630 | 17.0 |
| PALMER-LAAKSO EL | PK-5 | 606 | 17.8 |
| MILLER JORDAN MIDDLE | 6-8 | 590 | 13.7 |
| LAURELES EL | PK-5 | 544 | 15.5 |
| SAN BENITO RIVERSIDE MIDDLE | 6-8 | 498 | 12.1 |
Towns near San Benito
- La Paloma, TX5.4 mi · 3,218 people · home $82,400
- Harlingen, TX5.4 mi · 71,829 people · home $140,600
- Rancho Viejo, TX8.5 mi · 2,838 people · home $264,500
- Primera, TX9.3 mi · 5,257 people · home $160,900
- Combes, TX9.6 mi · 2,999 people · home $143,900
- Laureles, TX9.6 mi · 4,111 people · home $152,400
- Los Fresnos, TX10.4 mi · 8,114 people · home $152,200
- La Feria, TX11.4 mi · 6,817 people · home $106,900
San Benito questions
Is San Benito, Texas a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, San Benito scores better for retirees than 10% of Texas towns and quieter than 12%. 15.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 33.8).
How much does a house cost in San Benito?
The median owner-occupied home in San Benito is valued at $85,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $43,639, so homes cost about 2.0 times income. Median rent is $839 a month.
What is the weather like in San Benito?
July highs average 96.6°F and January lows 51.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 28.2 inches of precipitation a year and 0.1 inches of snow.
Does San Benito get tornadoes?
28 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of San Benito since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on May 12, 1969. The typical Texas town has had 21.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)